For many farmers across Canada, 2003 was a tumultuous year filled with stress and uncertainty.
The past season saw not only the “mad cow” crisis knock the bottom out of beef prices, but a soaring loonie and new provincial regulations governing the storage and use of manure squeeze already-slim profit margins to the point where some farmers have considered getting out before they are pushed out.
But according to the president of the Rainy River Federation of Agriculture, things were not entirely doom-and-gloom here in this district—and the worst is probably behind us.
“Of course, BSE [mad cow] was the biggest problem we faced,” said Bernie Zimmerman. “But people are managing.”
Zimmerman said some farmers are looking at 20-25 percent reductions in their expected returns due to slow or non-existent sales in some sectors, and this accounts for fewer dollars circulating in spin-off industries such as new equipment purchases.
But, by and large, people are coping.
“I think we have a very supportive community here and some people have sources of off-farm income to help,” Zimmerman observed.
Zimmerman is a full-time dairy farmer in Chapple, but his wife holds a job off the farm. He said he has no exact figures on what percentage of district farmers fall into that category.
But there are other factors facing farmers over the coming years.
Back in September, the Nutrient Management Act, 2002 officially came into effect in Ontario and it has changed the way agriculture will be operated from now on.
Sparked by the tragic events of May, 2000, when seven people died and more than 2,000 others fell ill in Walkerton, Ont. partly as a result of agricultural run-off contaminating a municipal well, the provincial government took steps to lay down strict regulations concerning the application, storage, and transportation of livestock manure and other agricultural nutrients.
The Nutrient Management Act now requires all farmers and generators of manure and organic wastes to develop an approved plan for the use of such materials and the circumstances under which it is used and stored.
Initially, there was some concern in the agricultural sector that the new law was complex, confusing, and imposed an unfair burden on farmers. But through several workshops and sessions in which farmers were able to offer feedback and suggestions, the rules have been adjusted and now come into effect.
The regulations have a five-year timeline before they take full effect, but some already have started.
“As of Sept. 30, the first phase came into effect,” said Gary Sliworsky, the local ag and rural rep for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF). “Now all new and expanding farms must comply with the regulations in the act.”
For pre-existing large farms, the deadline is July, 2005 and by 2008, every farm in Ontario will fall under the act.
Zimmerman said most district farmers won’t have a problem complying since there has been abundant lead time and most of them have more than enough suitable land to accommodate their manure.
“There might be the odd one having trouble complying, but I don’t think there are any problems that can’t be overcome,” he remarked.
Zimmerman acknowledged there still are some aspects of the act that could prove problematic for some people, particularly where it concerns storage and application near water sources.
“Some of that area [water sources] for some farmers is fairly cloudy,” he explained. “I mean, what is a water source exactly? Someone once said, ‘If there’s cattails growing in it, it’s a water source.’
“Does it have to flow for 300 days a year or just hold water?” he wondered.
Another aspect of the act concerns what are known as nutrient units. According to Sliworsky, one nutrient unit is the equivalent of the production of 95 pounds of nitrogen or 121 pounds of phosphate.
Obviously, different animals produce different amounts. That’s why the act specifies one small-framed dairy cow, for instance, is one unit whereas it takes up to 500 day-old baby chicks to equal one unit.
In any case, Zimmerman doesn’t think farmers in Rainy River District will have a problem meeting the standards because of the abundance of land available here.
“Most farmers I know have a fairly substantial land base,” he stressed. “I don’t see any of those problems in this area.”
But what of next year? Does it show any improvement over 2003? Zimmerman thinks so.
“For some people, it can only get better,” he quipped.
Zimmerman said he’s optimistic the pending change of government in Ottawa will prove to be positive. He predicts there will be large-scale changes in major cabinet portfolios, including agriculture.
“Most people think [Agriculture minister Lyle] Vanclief is pretty much done anyway,” he offered.
Of course, the weather is always on every farmer’s mind. This year, Zimmerman said, was not bad. “It was a bit dry, but yields were almost average,” he noted.
In the meantime, some farmers might find themselves looking for feed over the next few months because of the extra cattle they are carrying over the winter that normally would have been sent to slaughter.
“It all depends on how fast the border [with the United States] opens,” he concluded.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
